Apparatus for cleansing a contaminated chamber



F. D. VOGEL Nov. 25, 1969 APPARATUS FOR CLEANSING A CONTAMINATED CHAMBER Filed Oct. 23, 1967 INVENT OR mumDOm Q5: 7 -65: 258 5 vw E Frederick D. Vogel United States Patent US. Cl. 15--302 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention provides an automatic apparatus for the removal of trace amounts of impurities from a contaminated chamber. An electric motor driven multiport valve is connected to the contaminated chamber and to a vacuum pump. The contaminated chamber is then alternately and repetitively evacuated by the vacuum pump and purged with a fluid until the trace amount of impurities are sufficiently removed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to the cleansing of chambers and more particularly to an apparatus for the removal of trace amounts of impurities from a contaminated chamber.

A chamber which has been previously exposed to impurities becomes contaminated. Small trace amounts of the impurities may be absorbed or lodged in the walls, cabling, greases, gaskets, and O-rings of the chamber and its associated components. In certain instances, the chamber cannot be reused until purged of all such impurities. For example, the impurities remaining in the chamber may react in an undesirable manner when future chemicals are added.

Also, when repeated leakage tests are to be made, it becomes desirable to remove the impurities present from a prior leak test so that they will not be mistaken for a leak when a further leak test using that impurity is made. Such repeated leakage tests are made, for example, in the building of chambers for use in assemblies, such as engines, turbines, missiles, weapons, etc., where much time and effort would be required to remove a leaky internal component at final assembly. Leak tests are thus made at the various stages of assembly.

Although, in general, apparatus for the cleansing of contaminated chambers have performed satisfactorily, they often required the breakdown of complex assemblies, long aeration times, laborious manual evacuations, scrubbing with soap and hot water solutions, and the application of heat. In some situations, heat could not be applied to the chambers because of sensitive components, the presence of explosives or the large size of the hardware.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION An object of this invention is the provision of a new and improved apparatus for the removal of impurities from a contaminated chamber.

A further object of the instant invention is the provision of a new and improved apparatus for the automatic removal of impurities from a contaminated chamber.

Briefly, in accordance with this invention a contaminated chamber is cleansed of impurities by alternately and repetitively evacuating and purging the chamber.

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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING A more complete appreciation of the invention and many of the advantages thereof will be readily appreciated as the same becomes understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein the solitary view illustrates the overall decontamination apparatus according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawing, the apparatus is shown as consisting essentially of a conventional valve 10 connected to a contaminated chamber 12 to be purged, a conventional fluid source 14 which may be a cylinder of compressed air, and an evacuation device, which may be a conventional vacuum pump 16. Valve 10 is equipped with multiple ports 18 thru 21 for connecting the vacuum pump 16 and the fluid source 14 to the contaminated chamber 12. Valve 10 is also motor driven by a conventional variable speed electric motor 22 connected to the valve 10 by way of a shaft 24.

As the valve 10 is rotated by electric motor 22, the various multiple ports become operative. When ports 18 and/or 19 connected to vacuum pump 16 by Way of hoses 26 are opened, the contaminated chamber will be evacuated by vacuum pump 16. The vacuum will have the effect of pulling away and releasing any absorbed or lodged impurities present in the chamber and its associated components. As the motor shaft rotates, port 20 will be engaged to purge the chamber 12 with a fluid. The impurities present will be collected and flushed away by the fluid. This cycle of alternate evacuating and purging may be repeated until the impurities are sufficiently removed.

It should be understood that to attain the desired vacuum for effective removal of impurities for varied sized chambers (or under diiferent conditions) one or more of valve ports 19 and 20 may be opened during a cycle of operation, thereby increasing or decreasing the rate of evacuation. Also, the rate of evacuation and purging desired may be controlled by varying the size of the port holes or the speed of the electric motor. It should further be understood that fluid sources other than air may be used such as a liquid or gas or air at atmospheric pressure. Moreover, it should be understood that evacuation device 16 may be any other well known device for creating a vacuum.

It will be apparent that the apparatus of the invention herein described achieves the cleansing of a contaminated chamber by the removal of impurities therein. It should thus be apparent that the invention is not so limited and that it may be equally applicable to the cleansing of a chamber for any reason and of any type of impurity.

What is claimed as new :and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Apparatus for removing trace amounts of impurities from contaminated chambers of various sizes comprismeans for evacuating a contaminated chamber,

means for purging a contaminated chamber,

a multiple port, motor driven rotary valve for alternately connecting said evacuating means and said purging means to the contaminated chamber, said evacuating means connected to a plurality of ports oi said multiple port valve to vary the rate of evacuation by opening more than one valve port during a cycle of operation, and

3 4 means for adjusting said rotary valve to control the 3,160,519 12/1964 Parisot et a1. 118-50X rate of evacuationand purging depending ontthe 3,364,067 1/1968 Piscitello et a1. -134-21 X size of the contaminated chamber.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said means for RO M Primary Examiner adjusting said rotary valve comprises a variable speed 5 electric motor. US. Cl. X.R.

References Cited 2 UNITED STATES PATENTS 15 134* 166 2,348,465 5/1944 Geiringer l34-22X 

